The Daughter of Time
by Alice-pyon
Summary: Rin's life is turned upside-down one day when she stumbles across Camp Half-Blood, a camp for demigods. Rin is supposedly one of them, but how? She has two mortal parents. And what if her immortal parent isn't a god, but something far more dangerous?
1. Taking a Swim

**Hello! I'm Alice-pyon, and this is my first story I'm publishing on this site. I'm not the best writer, but I really wanted to post a Percy Jackson fanfic. Please review. If you like it, great! That will be a first for me. xD If you don't like it, then do you have any tips to make it better? I want to make this story as good as it can be, so tips or advice would be apperciated. :)**

**And about copyright: I don't own the Percy Jackson series. Rick Riordan is the author. **

**I hope you guys (sort of) like this story. ^.^ **

* * *

13 year-old Rin Everhart leaned against the rail of the ship, her long black hair flowing gracefully in the breeze. The bright blue water of Long Island Sound sparkled in the sunlight. It was a little chilly, but Rin wasn't about to let that ruin her day.

She turned, scouring the crowded deck for her family. Austin, her little brother, was leaning against the railing like she was at the opposite end of the boat. Her mother and father were sitting at a small table, laughing hysterically at some lame joke dad probably made. Rin smiled to herself. She loved her family, and she loved New York. She didn't want to leave, but sadly they were going back to Ohio tomorrow. This was there last activity planned: a cruise around Long Island Sound.

Austin hopped over to her, a large grin on his face. "Rin! A fishy smiled at me!"

"That's great," Rin said, even though she knew fish couldn't smile.

Her brother laughed cheerfully and ran to her parents to tell them the news. Austin's slightly long blonde hair flew behind him as he ran. Her whole family had light-colored hair. Her mother's was light brown and shoulder-length, while her father had the same color as Austin. Rin looked down her long hair. It was black as coal.

She had asked her parents about that a lot. Why did she look different than them? Was she adopted? Had they kidnapped her or something when she was little?

Her parents always told her that she wasn't adopted. She was their unique daughter that nobody could ever replace. Rin believed them, but at times she still wondered.

She was so unlike them in so many ways. Austin may be immature, but he was still really smart. He got all A's in school. Rin was older than him but still got straight D's. Her parents said it wasn't her fault. She was ADHD and dyslexic. She could barely sit still, and when she read it seemed like the words were floating off the page. But why didn't her parents have a disability like her? They were perfect while she was just a failure.

Rin shook her head and turned her attention back to the wonderful view. Rocky beaches stretched out in front of her, the water lapping calmly on the shore. The tour guide of the cruise boat announced what they were passing. An old house, a certain beach, a special rock formation. Things like that. She would sit back down when they weren't passing anything of importance.

Rin was admiring a pretty beach they were passing when she noticed something out of place. On one of the beaches where the woods were thick she saw something that looked like a canoe. That was odd. Did someone live in those woods? She walked up to the tour guide who was lounging at a table, twirling her microphone by the cord.

"Excuse me miss, is there anything over at that beach?" She pointed to the canoe. The tour guide squinted, holding her hand up to her forehead to shade her eyes from the sun.

"No, that's just a valley."

"No one ever goes to that beach?"

The tour guide shook her head. "Not that I know of. Rumor has it that it's dangerous there. No one settles there for a reason."

"That's weird. Then why is there a canoe boat on the beach?"

"Girl, I don't see anything. What are you talking about?"

"Right there. It's not hard to miss."

"Are you okay? You aren't sick, are you?"

Rin frowned. How could she not see it? "Maybe I'm just seeing things," she said, giving up.

"Could be."

Rin thanked her and walked back to the rail. She couldn't shake that feeling about that valley. There was something strange about it. It was as if she _had_ to go there. Rin started out at it as it became farther and farther away. She was hanging way over the rail, which she knew was probably a bad idea. She didn't care. She just wanted stare at the valley before it was gone behind them.

"Rin!" A voice shouted behind her.

Rin flinched, which was a pretty bad idea. She lost her balance and tumbled head-over-heels toward the icy water below. She had just enough time to look up and see her brother's horrified face. And then…

_Splash!_

White foam clouded her vision as she kicked her legs desperately, trying to reach the surface. The water was so cold it burned. When she broke the surface she coughed violently, sucking air into her lungs and shivering. Everyone was looking over the rail of the ship. Her mother was screaming her name, and Austin was crying.

"Rin! Are you alright?" Her father called.

"I'm fine!" Rin yelled.

"Hold on honey, we're going to get you back up onto the ship!" Her mother said, running off to find the captain. She came back a few seconds later, towing the captain along. He didn't look very pleased. Instead he glared at Rin as if she was a nuisance.

"Is there a ladder we can use to get her back up?" Austin asked.

"No," the captain stated.

Everyone looked at him in shock.

"A lifeboat?" Her mother asked.

"Nope."

"You don't have anything we can use to pull her back up?" Her father said angrily.

"Precisely."

"I'm going in after her!" Rin's mother cried, kicking off her shoes. Her father grabbed her by the wrist. "Laura, you can't even swim! Calm down!"

Rin was shivering. She was sure her lips must be turning blue. How could a captain be that stupid? Didn't he ever watch _Titanic_? Most of the people died just because the boat didn't have enough lifeboats.

Then Rin remembered the mysterious valley.

"Mom!" She called. "I'll swim to shore!"

"What?" Her family cried.

"You can pick me up later. I'll swim to that beach," she said, pointing to the beach with the canoe.

"Are you crazy?" Austin yelled.

"Yes!"

"Rin, there is no way we are allowing that!" Her father said.

"There's no way to get back on the ship. What am I supposed to do, just freeze in here? Trust me, I'll be fine."

Her family looked at each other, frowning. Then her mother said, "She's right."

Rin smiled. "Think of this as a fun adventure on our last day here," she said, starting to swim toward the shore.

"Be careful!" Her father called. Then she heard him say, "Captain, start steering this boat back toward the dock. _Now_."


	2. Welcome to Camp Half Blood

**Heeey everyone! :D Well, I didn't expect to get any reviews at all. Derek-God of Annoyingness, Boot-chan, I'mAnIdiotButWhoCares, and KayaKaminari-san, it really means a lot to me that you guys liked it. ^.^ If you guys really want me to update then I'll try write a lot more. Week days might get crazy though, cause I get a lot of homework. But thank you so much for the reviews. I thought it would be either no reviews, or people throwing virtual potatos at me. xD**

**So here's the next part. **

**Copyright: I don't own Percy Jackson at all. Rick Riordan, one of the greatest men in the universe, created it. ^.^**

* * *

Rin must have swum for a good half an hour. It was a slow process, and the water was so cold. When she reached the mysterious beach she plopped down onto the sand, trying to catch her breath.

She looked back at the water. The cruise boat was out of sight. She was on her own for now. How could that captain not have anything to pull her up? He should have been fired a long time ago.

Rin pushed herself up off the ground. She was shivering, but she wasn't just going to wait on this beach all day. She wanted to explore a little. She walked slowly over to the canoe boat. It wasn't made out of wood like she had thought. Instead it was made entirely out of metal. It must have taken weeks to build. The craftsmanship was beautiful, and she wondered why something this nice was left out here.

Rin walked further into the woods. They were creepy, that was for sure. The trees were tall and only allowed a little sunlight to seep through. The forest was dead quiet, except for the sound of Rin's shoes churching against leaves and twigs as she walked. She wasn't really sure where she was going or what she was looking for. All Rin knew was that this place seemed special, like it was calling to her.

Rin… You have officially gone crazy," she said to herself.

And that was when a huge… _thing_ knocked into her, sending her flying into a tree. Rin groaned, rubbing her head and trying not to fall down flat on her face. She looked up, and staring down at her was the biggest dog she had ever seen. It must have been on steroids. The dog was as big as a tank with deep black fur and piercing red eyes. Rin did the only thing she could think of: she screamed.

The dog jumped back in surprise, but her scream just got it more excited. It barked loudly and wagged its tail, slicing a few trees in half in the process.

"Um… Look! I don't know how you got so big and all, but you really don't want to eat me!" Rin called, her voice shaking.

The dog barked again, and then tackled her to the ground in one giant leap.

"I'm all bone and no meat! You don't want that, right?" Rin cried, trapped under one massive paw.

The dog continued to bark loudly. Rin shut her eyes and looked away. She was done for! She was going to get eaten by a giant dog. Why couldn't she die a normal death? A heart attack? A car crash? But no, it had to be eaten by a dog. Lovely.

Rin waited for her humiliating death to come. But it never did. Instead something wet and slimy ran along her face. Rin opened her eyes and gazed out at the large dog. Had it just… licked her?

"You're not going to eat me, right?" Rin whispered.

The dog tilted it's hear curiously and stepped back, unpinning Rin from its paw.

"So, you're nice?" Rin asked, standing up.

"BARK!"

"I'll take that as a yes?"

It barked again and started to chase its tail, nearly trampling Rin.

"Mrs. O'Leary?" A voice called.

The dog's head shot up, and in a flash it was running full-speed toward the voice.

"Hey girl, where have you been? Wait… Where are you going? Hey!"

Suddenly Mrs. O'Leary was back, and this time with a friend. Before Rin could even blink she was pinned down again by a massive black paw.

"Hey, get off!" Rin yelled.

A boy came into a view, staring down at her in shock. He was probably about four years older than her. He had black hair and green eyes, and was wearing a bright orange shirt with the words **CAMP HALF-BLOOD** printed in bold.

"Mrs. O'Leary," the boy said sternly. "I don't think she wants to play."

Mrs. O'Leary whimpered, but removed her giant paw.

"Who the heck are you?" Rin asked, jumping up onto her feet.

"I should be asking you that. How did you get here?"

"I swam," Rin said, pointing to her wet hair.

"But I'm pretty sure we're inside the barrier right now…"

"Huh?"

The boy sighed. "My name's Percy. Nice to meet you."

"Percy… That's a weird name."

Percy glared. "What's yours?"

"Rin Everhart."

"You're calling my name weird?"

Rin ignored his comment, even though she had been the first to insult him. "Why is that dog as big as a tractor, and what barrier are you talking about?"

"Are you dyslexic and ADHD?"

Rin stared at him, her mouth hanging open. How did _he _know that?

"Well… Are you?" Percy asked.

"Possibly…" Rin stammered.

"Don't worry, I am too. We all are at Camp Half-Blood."

Rin was silent for quite a while. "You mean this valley is a camp?"

Percy nodded.

"But everyone says nothing is here but woods."

"They can't see this camp. A barrier protects it. So does the Mist. Look, can you follow me? Now that I know you're one of us it's safe to bring you into camp."

"Only for a little while. My parents are coming to pick me up soon. I need to find a phone and call them."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Parents? As in two?"

"Yeah. And my little brother, Austin."

For some reason Percy looked a little confused. Maybe even a little worried. He shook it off, and started to walk deeper into the woods. Mrs. O'Leary chased after him happily, while Rin followed. Why was she following a stranger? She wasn't really sure. Rin just felt like she _had _to.

They walked in silence, a million questions on the tip of Rin's tongue. She didn't want to ask them, though. Not until they got to the camp he had talked about. Still, she couldn't help but ask one question that had been bugging her.

"What's this camp for, anyway? Do you guys train giant dogs?"

Percy laughed. "Not even close."

"Then what?"

The trees started to thin out, indicating they were almost out of the woods.

"Camp Half-Blood is a camp for special kids."

"Special how?"

Percy stopped walking. "See for yourself."

Rin stared out in shock at the view. Kids of all ages ran around in Greek armor. They were fighting with swords, spears, shields, and daggers. Others were sitting among a huge strawberry field. There was a rock climbing wall that spewed lava, a stable that held large horses with wings, and a dining pavilion with no roof. There was a large blue house off in the distant, half-man half-horse people running around, and a small cluster of different cabins. Basically, it was like a fantasy world laid out in front of her.

"No way…" Rin breathed.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, a special camp just for demigods."


	3. A Major Explanation

**Hi guys. ^.^ I'm SOOOOO sorry I havn't updated this in a long time! School got really crazy, and I just never had time to write anymore. I hope you guys don't want to kill me now. xD**

**So, anyway, this chapter is really bad. When I re-read it I noticed how sloppy it was. Maybe it's because I wrote this over a 2 month time period. But, yeah... It sucks. I didn't want to wait any longer though, so I just decided to post it. It'll get better, I promise. xD Because Rin is gonna meet some new people, and there's going to be this big thing that happens. I already planned it out. :D So, I hope you sorta like this chapter, and I promise I'll post more soon~!**

**Copyright: I don't own Percy Jackson at all. If I did then I would be the happies person alive. ^.^ Rick Riordan is the creator. **

* * *

It took Rin quite awhile to speak. She must have stared out at the view for five whole minutes without saying a word. Maybe ten. When she turned back to Percy he was causally leaning against a tree trunk, fiddling with a ballpoint pen.

"This isn't real," Rin finally decided.

"Actually, it kind of is," Percy said, pocketing the pen. "I didn't think it was real at first too. You sorta get used to it as time goes on."

"Well, why are you showing me this?"

"Because you're a demigod. You belong here."

"You have no proof that I'm one," Rin stated. "Wait, a demi-what?"

"A demigod. It's a person that's half god and half human."

"A half-god half-human?" Rin couldn't help but laugh. She laughed so hard that she almost fell to the ground. "Wow, you're really funny, you know that?"

She expected Percy to say something like, "Yup, you almost fell for it!" Instead he looked at her, not smiling at all.

"Wait, you're serious? Those people down there…"

"They're training for battle. You never know what to expect when you're a demigod. Look, how about we go see Chiron. He's better at explaining things than I am." Percy started to walk forward, leaving Rin to follow behind in a daze. She really hoped that this boy was just crazy, and everything down there was just an act. Mrs. O'Leary trailed behind, nuzzling her snout into the long grass and looking for something good to eat.

They walked through the camp, passing teens with deadly looking swords and spears. Some stopped their training to look curiously at Rin as she passed. Others yelled hello to Percy and continued their training.

They approached a large blue house and made their way to the porch. There were three people on the porch, one leaning casually on the rail and the other two sitting at a table. The girl leaning on the rail immediately jumped off the porch as soon as she saw Percy. She had blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail, and startling grey eyes. She was also wearing an orange T-shirt identical to Percy's.

"Where have you been?" The girl asked, hands on her hips.

"Well, I was in the woods-…"

"I can see that. There are still leaves in your hair."

"I was in the woods and I found this girl. Her name's Rin," Percy finished.

The girl stared at Rin as if finally noticing her presence. "She got through the barrier?"

Percy nodded and then turned to Rin. "Rin, meet Annabeth."

"Uh… Hi," Rin muttered.

Annabeth's glare softened into a smile. "Sorry for being a little rude. Percy was supposed to take me down by the lake an hour ago."

"Ah… So you guys are dating?"

"Yup," Annabeth said proudly.

Percy's face was flushed red. "We'll discuss this topic later."

Annabeth giggled, and led them up the porch. "Chiron, Mr. D, we have a new one here."

One of the men sitting at the table smiled at Rin. He was sitting in a wheel chair and wore an oversized grey coat. His hair and mustache were brown, and so were his eyes. The other man seated next to him did not smile, however. Instead he glared. He was a plump man, wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt. He had curly hair, bloodshot eyes, and a fat chin.

"Hello," the man in the wheelchair said softly. "My name is Chiron, and you are?"

"Rin," she said quietly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rin," Chiron said. He looked over at the chubby man and sighed. "Dionysus?"

"Oh, alright. Hello, I'm Dionysus, but you will address me only as Mr. D, is that clear?"

Rin meant to nod, but instead she heard herself saying, "Dionysus? Isn't he a Greek god?"

Mr. D snorted. "What do you mean 'he'? I'm sitting right here."

Rin stared, deciding whether to gasp or to laugh.

"Chrion, please explain," Mr. D sighed.

"Yes, of course. Rin, have a seat," Chiron said, motioning to a chair next to him. Once Rin had sat down he started to speak again. "I'm sure you must be confused."

"Well, yeah…" Rin agreed.

"Can you explain to us how you got here?"

Rin turned her head to look at Percy, who nodded. He was leaning against the rail next to Annabeth. Rin noticed that they were holding hands behind their backs.

"Well," Rin said, turning back around. "I swam here."

"We can see that," Mr. D snapped. Chiron gave him a glare, and then nodded at Rin to continue talking.

"Well, I was on a cruise boat with my mom, dad, and brother," Rin started. Mr. D was about to interrupt, but Chiron shushed him quickly. "I sort of fell off the boat, and the captain had nothing that could pull me back up. So I swam to shore, and my parents agreed that they were going to pick me up right away after the boat docked."

"I'm guessing you were shocked to find a camp here, weren't you?" Chiron asked.

Rin nodded. "Yeah…"

"You see, Rin, this camp is no ordinary summer camp. I'm sure you've already figured that out by now. This place is a camp where demigods come to stay."

Rin's stomach did a little flip. "So… You're saying all those gods in the old myths are real?"

"Those aren't myths. Those are real events that actually happened," Chiron said.

"I'm sorry, I don't really understand," Rin said, sinking back into her seat.

"Shall I start from the beginning?" Chiron asked softly.

Rin nodded.

"Very well then." Chiron cleared his throat, and then began to speak. "The gods have been around since the beginning of the Earth. They've been walking among humans for years. People might think of them as myths now, but back in Ancient Greece everyone was positive they existed."

"Hold on," Rin interrupted. "How did they walk among all the humans? Wouldn't they realize something was up?"

Chiron smiled smugly. "The Mist prevents that from happening."

"The what?"

"The Mist," Percy said. "It's kind of like a magical fog that makes humans see differently. It covers things up, you know? If humans saw all of the monsters around them, they would probably go nuts." He said this like it was completely normal while leaning casually against the railing.

"Wait, hold on. Did you just say monsters?"

"Oh yeah, there's tons of them," Percy said.

"… Good to know."

Annabeth laughed. "Don't worry, Rin. This camp is perfectly safe."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rin sighed. "So, you guys can't see the monsters and gods then?"

"Excuse me?" Chiron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, the Mist prevents you from seeing them, right?"

Mr. D finally spoke up. "No, only humans can't see through the Mist. Gods and demigods can see perfectly fine. Demigods can see this camp, and humans can't."

"Really…?" Rin trailed off, lost in thought. And then, so sudden that she almost fell out her seat, a realization passed through her like a lightning bolt.

"Oh my gosh," she breathed, standing up and clutching her hands on the table.

She could feel six pairs of eyes staring at her.

"I can see this camp!"

No one moved.

"I could see that canoe when that lady couldn't."

More silence.

"I can see through the mist… So I'm a…"

"Demigod! Yes we know," Mr. D snapped. "Sheesh. Are you always this dramatic?"

"So… One of my parents is a god?" Rin asked in disbelief, her whole body numb.

"Why is it a shock? I said you were one before," Percy mumbled under his breath.

"I can't believe it. They never told me this. One of my parents had me with a god and they never bothered to mention it? Oh, when they pick me up they are never going to hear the end of it!"

Rin saw Percy and Annabeth glance at each other nervously.

"You tell her," Percy said.

"No, you," Annabeth shot back.

"Tell me what?" Rin asked.

Annabeth nudged Percy hard in the ribs.

"Ow! Annabeth, sheesh. Fine, I'll tell her," Percy said.

"Tell me what?"

"Umm… Rin, you can't go back with your family."


	4. Hermes Campers and Pranks

**Hi guys! Horaay, this chapter was actually updated withen in a month of my last one! xD I feel very accomplished. So, this chapter is actually pretty long (for me), and I'm happy with the way it turned out. I kept re-writing it over and over, so some parts are a little weird or just plain annoying. ^.^ But, I'm proud overall.**

**Thank you so much for the awesome reviews, too! Moongirl, yes, you're guess is correct. xD (I'm not going to say it here so people are forced to look at the reviews! Muahaha!) But I tried to make the title as oubvious as possible. ^.^**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, and I promise I'll update again soon! **

**Copyright: I don't own Percy Jackson, but I wish I did. Rick Riordan owns it. **

* * *

"No…" Rin muttered, her ears ringing. "No, I have to go back with my family. I live with them!"

"Rin," Chiron said firmly. "We find it odd that you have two parents. That's why we're concerned. Tell me, has either one of them ever been divorced?"

Rin shakily shook her head, unable to speak. She couldn't believe this was happening. They were going to force her to stay here? They couldn't!

"They haven't? That's really strange…" Annabeth mused.

"Indeed. That's why we should be cautious. For the time being, Rin, you will stay here. We'll find out who your immortal parent is, and you can make some new friends." Chiron said this all very calmly, which made Rin's ears ring even louder.

"But my family…"

"You'll see them again," Percy reassured her.

"When?"

"Well, when you're claimed by one of the gods. And some training wouldn't hurt, either," Percy said.

"We will find your parents and inform them about everything that has happened. I'm sure they will understand," Chiron added.

"But… But I don't belong here." Rin could feel her eyes welling up with tears, but she held them back.

"We all had to go through this," Annabeth murmured quietly. "Trust me, we know how you feel. No one wants to be separated from their family. We're doing this for your safety, though. Monsters can appear in the wildest places. We don't want you or your family getting hurt."

Chiron and Percy nodded in agreement. Mr. D, who was drinking from a can of Coke, simply waved his hand in the air. "Yes, yes, it's very heart breaking. Peter, Annabelle, would you be so kind as to show Miss Evergreen to the Hermes cabin?"

"It's Percy," Percy said, grinding his teeth.

"And I'm not Annabelle. I'm Annabeth."

"Um, my last name is Everhart," Rin added.

"Well excuse me for getting a few names wrong. There are so many of you swarming around at this camp. You expect me to remember every name?"

"Come on, we'll show you the cabin you'll be staying in for the time being," Annabeth said, grabbing Rin's hand and leading her down the porch steps.

"Don't worry Rin, we'll explain to your family what happened, and tell them not to worry," Chiron called. Rin nodded slightly, still shocked from what had just happened.

Percy followed behind them as they snaked their way between duels, archery lessons, and gossiping groups of demigods. Rin hoped that her presence would go unnoticed. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"Annabeth, duck!" A voice called from somewhere in the distant. Annabeth stopped in her tracks and turned around, only to earn a huge water balloon in the face. It exploded on contact, soaking her head to toe.

Rin stared, her mouth open in shock. Percy on the other hand, tried to hide his laughter with a fit of coughing.

"Woah, sorry Annabeth!"

"Didn't mean to hit you. Honestly, we didn't!"

Two boys came jogging up to Annabeth, checking out the damage. Annabeth didn't attack them, as Rin thought she would have done. Instead she stood very still, not moving a muscle.

"Don't worry, Annabeth. It'll ware off," one of the boys said. Rin suspected the two boys were twins. They looked exactly alike. They each had a mop of messy brown hair, bright blue eyes, and crooked smiles that spelt trouble all over them.

A loud moan escaped from Annabeth's unmoving lips.

"What did you do?" Rin asked, horrified.

"Oh, we were just playing a game," the taller twin answered. "Just throwing around some water balloons. To make it more interesting, we filled the balloons with some of Medusa's Instant Petrifying Powder."

"We didn't mean to hit Annabeth, though," the other twin said. "Sorry again, Annabeth! Total accident!"

The twins exchanged sly smiles with each other.

"Conner, Travis, you guys better start running for your lives. When that stuff wares off, Annabeth will be having Stoll Brothers for dinner," Percy said. He picked up Annabeth's still form. "I'll bring her back to the Athena cabin."

"You do that, Percy," Conner said. "You might want to lock her in there, too."

"And destroy the key," Travis added.

"Right," Percy said with a smile. "Come on, Rin. We can go to the Athena cabin first, and then get you settled into the Hermes cabin."

Rin nodded while Annabeth screamed loudly, her lips still sealed shut.

"Ohh, so you're the new girl huh?" Travis asked, turning his attention toward Rin.

"The new girl?" Rin questioned.

"Yup! There's already a lot of gossip about you. People are saying that Mrs. O' Leary and Percy rescued you from an underwater monster attack off the shore of the camp," Conner explained.

"That's not true! I swam here!"

"Don't worry, New Girl," Travis said, patting Rin on the shoulder. "It's just the Aphrodite cabin. They love to gossip."

"And they love to turn guys down whenever they get the chance," Conner sniffed.

"There there, brother. It's okay. She wasn't right for you, anyway," Travis said. "Anyway, we'll see you in the Hermes cabin. That's our dad, so we live there."

"You're just going to be living there until you're claimed. Maybe you're a child of Hermes," Conner said.

"No… Look at her hair. It's black. And she doesn't have the appearance of a joker," Travis informed his brother.

"Aww, you're right. What a shame."

"Well, see you around, New Girl!"

"And watch your step in the Hermes cabin. There's… Unexpected surprises in there."

They both chuckled, waved, and ran back to their bucket of water balloons.

"They're… interesting," Rin finally managed to say as her and Percy continued walking.

"Mhm," Annabeth agreed, her whole body still frozen. Percy was carrying her in his arms, and Rin couldn't help but think about how adorable the scene was. She wondered if Annabeth was secretly enjoying the ride back to her cabin.

"That was Conner and Travis Stoll. They're a little out of control, but nice once you get to know them," Percy said.

"They're not going to prank me, right? Cause I'm new?"

Percy looked over at her, and even Annabeth's frozen eyes seemed to swivel a little in her direction.

"I can't make any promises…" Percy said.

"Oh great… Just what I need," Rin sighed.

"Don't worry, you'll fit in just fine," Percy reassured her.

They continued to walk in silence, Rin's mind racing. Why did she have to find this place? Why did she have to be a demigod? Would she ever really go home? And what about all these other kids? Would they like her?

_Probably not_, the small voice in the back of Rin's head chirped.

_Shut up_, she snapped back.

"Hey, Rin," Percy said, shaking her out of her thoughts. "These are the cabins where we all live."

Rin rolled her eyes. Great. Cabins. She had gone to camp once, and the cabins they had been forced to live in were disgusting. She looked up, and felt her jaw drop at once.

These cabins were unlike any cabins Rin had ever seen. Each one was unique in its own way. One was huge with large white pillars leading inside; another looked as if it was a giant factory or a mechanic workshop. Every cabin was a different design, shape, and color.

"Oh my gosh…" Rin muttered, her eyes wide.

"I know," Percy grinned. "They're cool, aren't they?"

Rin nodded, suddenly forgetting all of her worries and troubles as a wonderful thought washed over her.

"I get to live in one of these?"

"Yeah," Percy said. He raised his hand and pointed to a gleaming marble cabin with white walls and a small statue of an owl on the doorway. "That's Annabeth's cabin. I'm going to bring her over there. See that one over there? That's the Hermes cabin. Why don't you go and introduce yourself?"

Rin turned toward the cabin Percy was pointing at and couldn't believe her eyes. It was an old, brown cabin with paint chipping off the walls. It looked disgusting compared to all the other wonderful cabins.

"That?"

Percy nodded, and started to walk toward the Athena cabin. "See you in a little while," he called, and soon he had disappeared through the doorway.

Rin sighed, and started to walk over to the Hermes cabin. _Don't worry, Rin,_ she thought to herself. _I bet the kids are really nice. And that's just the outside you're lookin' at. The inside will be loads better!_

Rin pushed open the door slightly and peered inside. Sleeping bags littered the floor, and small beds were pushed up against the wall. It was a dark and dusty room, and kids were hanging around in groups, talking to each other. Most of the kids that light hair, upturned noses, and crooked smiles. Some of them were throwing around water balloons that must have been stolen from the Stoll Brother's stash. When they noticed Rin, they all smiled at once and rushed over to say hello.

"Ahh, so you're the new girl, right?"

"The one who got attacked in the ocean?"

"What? I heard she came all the way from Africa!"

"Africa? You're nuts!"

"So she's in our cabin? Sweet!"

"Uhh, hi," Rin tried to say as they crowded around her. "It's nice to meet you all…"

"Nice to meet you too," a small boy piped up. "Tell me, do you like Medusa's Instant Petrifying Powder?"

Rin gulped. "No, uhh, actually I don't think I'm a daughter of Hermes. I'm just staying here cause I haven't been claimed."

"Oh, I can tell you're not a child of Hermes," the boy said. "But you look fun to prank, you know?"

All of the Hermes kids nodded in agreement.

"Oh, do I? Yeah, well, I'm really not…"

"Just watch out, New Girl," someone else said. "We're all nice, but we can't help but have a little fun. Especially with new campers."

Rin could tell this was going to be a long day.


	5. Talking Dragonflies?

**Hi guys! Sorry it's been awhile since my last update. I feel like a jerk. xD**

**Anyway, some of you might find this chapter completely random, stupid, odd, or unrelated to the plot. I really like this chapter though, because I've dedicated it to one of my friends. Her name is Boot-chan, and she's my friend that I always share all of my stories with. She's got an account on here, and on Fictionpress. Check out some of her stories, she's a great writer!**

**Well, I don't have much to say after that, so I'll just do the copyrights and be on my way. ^.^**

**Copyright: Sadly, I don't own Percy Jackson, but I'm working on it. :D Rick Riordan owns it.**

* * *

Rin inched toward the door slowly, trying with all her might not to make a sound. The Hermes campers had finally directed their attention to something other than her. She had to escape. It was now or never.

She reached the door, and taking one last peek at the cabin, pushed the door open and disappeared outside in a flash. She jogged down the line of cabins, searching for the Athena residence. She recognized the owl on the doorway and stepped inside, relief washing over her as she found Annabeth sitting on one of the white couches, buried in a book.

"You're back to normal!" Rin exclaimed, hopping down onto the couch beside her. Annabeth looked up, startled, but then relaxed when she saw who it was. She gingerly closed her book and placed it on the table in front of them.

"What are you doing here? Conner and Travis," she said their names reproachfully, "said you were enjoying yourself down at the Hermes cabin."

Rin shook her head vigorously. "No I wasn't! They were threatening me!"

"They threaten everyone," Annabeth laughed.

"Are you sure about that?"

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry. They're just interested in you, that's all. They were interested in Percy too when he first came here."

Rin sighed, and sank down into the soft cushions. "When did the Medusa stuff ware off?"

"About an hour ago."

"And where's Percy?"

Annabeth's cheeks flushed red. "He's down by the strawberry field. He's… getting a picnic ready…"

Rin grinned. "That's so sweet!"

"I guess so," Annabeth said hastily. "If you really don't like the Hermes cabin that much, you can hang out here for the day. Most of the Athena campers have archery today."

"Wow, really? Thanks," Rin sighed. Finally, some peace and quiet. Everything had been so hectic. It would be nice to have a little time to herself, to think about the whirl of events that had happened in only a few short hours.

"So, did the Hermes campers only threaten you, or did they actually give you some useful information?"

"They pretty much threatened me," Rin said with a wave of her hand. "But they did say that once I was claimed I would be moved to a different cabin. Or they said I would have to wait if I was the daughter of a minor god or goddess." Annabeth beamed when she said this, and Rin gave her a quizzical look.

"Sorry, it's just that we're almost ready to start construction on that. I can't wait."

"Construction on what?"

"For the new cabins. The minor gods and goddesses never really got much respect. When Kronos fell, Percy made sure that the gods paid more attention to them."

"Who was Kronos exactly?" Rin asked. "I've been hearing a lot of talk about him."

Annabeth's face narrowed into disgust. "Kronos is the god of time. He's still alive, but barely. He's probably cast deep into Tartarus right now. Tartarus is a basically a deep pit of nothingness down in the Underworld," Annabeth added when she saw Rin about to speak.

"Well, what did he do that made everyone dislike him so much?"

"It goes back to when Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were first born. Kronos is their father, but he was very cruel and abused his power. The three brothers eventually overthrew him, and that was the end of the Titans. Kronos was cast deep into Tartarus, his body cut into hundreds of different pieces. But a few years ago, he came back…"

"Wait," Rin interjected. "How did he come back? Wasn't his body cut up?"

Annabeth nodded, and looked to the side, avoiding Rin's gaze. "He had some help."

Annabeth looked visibly upset, but Rin couldn't help herself. She was too curious. "What sort of help?"

"Luke… A close friend of mine. He… He went over to Kronos's side, but he wasn't bad. He was just confused. He passed away last year, after sacrificing himself and defeating Kronos."

"Oh." Rin had no idea how to respond. She wanted to say she was sorry that he died, or that it was a really brave thing of him to do, but none of those would cheer Annabeth up. She had clearly been mourning his death for some time.

"Hey Annabeth, Rin," Percy said, emerging in the doorway and striding across the room to sit next to them on the couch. He was holding a large basket in his hand, and at the sight of it, Annabeth smiled.

"So, what were you two talking about?" Percy asked.

Annabeth was about to answer, but Rin interrupted her. "Oh, you two, just go already. I'm fine here alone, don't worry. I'll just raid the bookshelf."

Annabeth and Percy gave her a grateful smile. Obviously, they had been planning his romantic little get together for some time. Percy stood up, and Annabeth followed suit.

"Are you sure, Rin…? I mean, you're new here and all."

Rin gave a wave of her hand. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

They both nodded, and headed out the door, leaving Rin alone in the Athena cabin.

Rin sat there for a few minutes, curled up on the couch, gazing at the room around her. She knew that reality hadn't really hit her yet. She was the daughter of some sort of immortal god, and she was now living in a weird camp for the summer. That much had sunk in. The thought that she might not see her family again for awhile though, hadn't. Also, apparently she had to be claimed, and had to try and not get killed my monsters, and had to train with the other campers while she was staying here. Rin shook her head and let out an audible sigh.

"Why is life so difficult?" Rin muttered to herself.

"Tell me about it."

Rin blinked and turned around, but found no other sign of life in the cabin. The only thing she could see was a large dragonfly flying around the room. She settled back into her seat on the couch, her head pounding.

"Oh great," Rin laughed. "Now I'm hearing voices…"

"How insulting. I'm not just a voice! I have feelings, for your information."

Rin whipped around again to find the large dragonfly flying in her direction. When it was just about to collide with Rin's face it stopped, twirled in mid-air, and spoke.

"My name is Bootronis the 5th, but you can refer to me as simply Boot."

Rin, rendered speechless from shock, stared at the small dragonfly as it hovered in front of her eyes. Its wings were a sparkly silver, and its body was green. It had little padded feet that were changing colors constantly. First they were red, then orange, and then blue. Obviously, it was different from most dragonflies Rin had seen.

"What's up with you? Hades got your tongue?"

Rin closed her eyes and shook her head furiously, hoping to clear her thoughts and get rid of this illusion. When she opened her eyes, the dragonfly was still there.

"You… You're a… But you…"

"Yes, yes I know," the dragonfly snapped. "I'm a dragonfly but I can speak. So what?"

"So you're real?"

The dragonfly rolled its eyes. "Yes."

"Oh…"

A long silence passed between them. Then, Rin suddenly realized that she was having a conversation with a _dragonfly_. A creature who usually couldn't speak. So, she did the same thing anybody in her situation would do.

She screamed…

And ran to the bookshelf…

And she chucked a couple of books at the creature too.

The dragonfly dodged all of the books with ease, twirling in the air and shouting furious words that no person should ever repeat. Finally, when Rin had calmed down, the dragonfly streaked toward her and shook a little padded foot in her face.

"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ATTACK ME!" The dragonfly yelled furiously.

"Me? What did I do? You're the one that's not supposed to be able to talk!" Ron screamed back.

The dragonfly landed on Rin's knee. Rin flinched, but didn't try to shoo it away.

"I see we have a conflict," the small creature said wisely.

"Obviously!"

"You're very dense, though. I'm sure you know that the gods exist, yes? Then why are you so shocked that I can talk? Gods are magical. M-A-G-I-C-A-L. And yes, I am big on grammar."

"Well, I haven't been here for long and everything…"

The dragonfly's eyes lit up. "AHA! You're the new camper, then? Rin Everhart?"

Rin nodded. "Yup, that's me… And you are?"

"I already said my name!"

"Sorry, I didn't catch it."

The dragonfly pouted. "Bootronis the 5th. Call me Boot."

"It's nice to meet you… Boot."

"Pleasure," Boot scoffed.

"Sorry for trying to kill you," Rin added.

"Don't worry. I've tried to kill many people in my lifetime also."

"Boot?"

Rin and Boot turned, and standing in the doorway was a tall, sandy-haired boy. He was about Rin's age, and had light blue eyes and a dazzling smile. He was wearing a simple pair of jeans and an orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt like all the other campers.

"Oh no, not you," Boot groaned. "What do you want?"

The boy glared. "Oh, I see. This is how you treat the person who lets you bunk with him? And who are you bothering this time?"

"You call giving me one pillow on the floor bunking with you? Ha. And this is my new friend. I'm not bothering her. In fact, she adores me."

Rin was about to speak, but Boot silenced her with a swift glare.

The boy sighed. "Sorry about him. He's crazy. I'm Jake, by the way. Son of Athena. You are?"

"I'm Rin," Rin said quickly before Boot could cut her off.

"Nice to meet you," Jake said.

"Enough of this. Jake, leave my presence at once. You are not welcomed here," Boot said, pointing a small padded foot toward the door.

Jake rolled his eyes. "I live here. And stop bothering her. Look, she's freaked out by you. You cause so much trouble."

Boot's eyes flashed furiously, and he looked appalled. He flapped his wings, hovered off of Rin's knee, and flew toward Jake. "APOLIGIZE AT ONCE!"

Jake simply stepped out of the way as Boot charged at him. Boot turned around in mid-air and flew toward Jake's ear. Before Boot could attack, Jake hit him with his hand and sent him flying to the floor.

_Splat._

Rin's eyes widened in horror as the sickening sound echoed around the room. She looked up at Jake, who looked relatively calm, and back down at Boot, was lying motionless on the floor.

"What did you do?" Rin asked, horrified.

"Hmm?" Jake asked, looking up. "Oh, don't worry about him. He can't die."

"What?"

Jake merely pointed toward Boot, who was being engulfed by a shining blue orb. Seconds later, the orb broke apart, and a fully healed Boot came zooming toward Jake once again.

"YOU HAVE THE NERVE?"

Jake was just about to hit him out of the way again, but Rin stepped between them, causing Boot to stop abruptly.

"Don't attack him! You'll just get yourself hurt again," Rin said. Boot perched himself on Rin's hand and looked up at her suspiciously.

"You don't think I can take him?"

"Oh… No, of course I think you can take him!"

"Liar," Jake said simply.

Rin shot him a glare, and then turned back to Boot.

"But I'm concerned about your safety, you know? Cause you're my… friend."

Boot's eyes lit up. "You… You just said the F word!"

"What? No I didn't!"

"Not that F word," Boot said, smiling. "The other F word! Friend! No one has ever called me their friend before. I've called people it, of course, but no one has ever referred to me as that!"

"I've told you that millions of times," Jake said, rolling his eyes.

"Shush, you don't count! I'm talking about cool people!"

"Oh, well… Yeah, we're friends," Rin said nervously. "So… How come you can't die?" Rin was honestly curious, but she was mostly just trying to change the subject.

"It's a very sad tale, actually," Boot said, his eyes darkening.

"What happened?"

"Well, he used to be a human," Jake said.

"You did? Is that why you can talk?" Rin asked.

"Yes. I used to be a human living in Greece. I had it all. Wealth, servants, happiness, and my own little kingdom to rule. My life was perfect. But then that dirty, rotten, horrible, evil, violent, selfish-"

"Boot, get on with it," Jake coughed.

"Yes, terribly sorry. Zeus," Boot spat, "hated my guts. He changed me into this horrid dragonfly, just because he was jealous of me! Well, soon he'll pay for his mistakes!"

"He wasn't jealous of you. You tried to attack him and become king of the gods," Jake informed him.

Boot gasped. "Not in front of my new friend!" He hissed, pointing a padded foot at Rin.

Rin broke into laughter, and soon Boot and Jake were laughing with her. It felt good to laugh. So much had happened, and laughing with them made all of stuff about the gods seem like a pleasant joke that she could enjoy.

"Thank you," Rin said abruptly after they had stopped laughing. Jake and Boot looked at her curiously. "Everything's been so weird lately. It's nice to have some friends to talk to, even if one of them is a talking dragonfly."

Jake smiled. "No problem. I've heard that you've had it rough so far. If you ever need company, just come see me and Boot. We'll be here."

And for the rest of the day, Rin felt a little more comfortable at Camp Half-Blood.


End file.
